Voters can begin registration with cell phones

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Would-be voters with cell phones can now start the process of registering by sending a simple text message, thanks to a program the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters Education Fund unveiled this morning.

Cell phone users need only send the message "Pgh" or "Pa" to the number 75444. They will get a message asking for their name and address, and if they supply it, an already completed voter registration form will be sent to their home.

The would-be voter needs only to sign it and send it in by the Oct. 10 registration deadline to vote in the Nov. 7 election. On Election Day, the person will get a text message reminding him to vote and telling him where his polling place is.

Khari Mosley, regional director of the fund, said he was "very excited about this. . . . Our group is always striving to think of new ways to encourage voter registration, especially among the younger population."

The messages are sent via a secure channel and the information provided by registrants will be kept private, the fund said.